Civil wrongs occur when a person wrongly suffers a loss caused by another person, a business, or government. Wrongful losses can be damage to property or reputation, unmet contractual obligations, physical or psychological injury, etc. Sometimes these wrongs fall into both criminal and civil legal categories. However, criminal wrongs require bad intent and are prosecuted and punishable by the state. On the other hand, Civil wrongs do not require bad intent and require private individuals to pursue justice on their own.
Broadly speaking, civil wrongs are thoughtless or selfish acts, committed without due regard for the lives and safety of others. When a civil wrong is committed, laws exist to hold the wrongdoer accountable to the innocent person for non-trivial losses caused by the wrongful act.
When one experiences a civil wrong, the injured party has the right to sue the offending party for compensation to make up for what was lost. Justice is achieved when the Court orders the wrongdoer to pay enough money to fully make up for the loss. Usually, when the risk of a Court order for full monetary damages is imminent, the wrongdoer seeks to settle out of court. Most often, monetary damages are paid on behalf of a wrongdoer by the wrongdoer’s 3rd party insurance coverage.
